Prince Harry, the younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, is coming to visit Belize at the end of the week as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Channel Five will be having live broadcasts of the event and a number of US networks and agencies will cover the event. But the official visit won’t be accessible to everyone, especially so for one village that feels slighted because its council feels that it should have been included on the official list of guests and entertainers. News Five spoke to the spokesperson for the Succotz Village Council who says that because of their relation to Xunantunich they deserve some recognition.

Via Phone: Wilson Pat, Spokesperson, Succotz Village Council

“The prince is coming to the western part of Belize and going to visit the Mayan Site of Xunantunich and nobody has told us anything to the Village Council. And the Xunantunich Mayan Site is for the Succotz Village. So we have not been informed; not even nothing at all. So we have a concern because they are abandoning us and ignoring that we are here. so that is our concern that we are not being taken into consideration and we live here and we at the village council should at least be invited to see the prince with his arrival here. But what I heard is that they are bringing cultural activities from Punta Gorda and indeed Succotz is a very cultural place where we have the Alma Belicena, the marimba. That was bought since 1960 and we are here.”

Jose Sanchez

“But there is a Succotz band that will be playing for the Prince; isn’t that correct?”

Via Phone: Wilson Pat

“As far as I know yes. But like I said, we are respecting everyone but it don’t look like they are respecting the village council. Since the prince is coming on this side, they should at least have the honor of inviting the village council to be there and to try to have some fervor with the prince. I mean it is easy for them to let us try something for them. Like I said, we are a very cultural village, we have culture here and we have respect for everyone but we do not want to disrespect other people. So what we are doing we are trying to—whoever is in charge, to please give us a call and tell us exactly what is going to happen since we are here and we can assist them in whatever preparation they want to do. But they are not taking us into consideration; they are not taking us for nothing. So we are upset and we want somebody in authority to call us.”

News Five, however, got a call this evening to say that the Succotz Drum Core and the Marimba are included as part of the program for the visit. The prince will be in Belize this Friday and Saturday. After arriving at the PGIA, Prince Harry will be whisked off to Belmopan, overnight in Cayo, visit the Adjacency Zone at the border and then trek at Xunantunich and will stop-over at Price Barracks before he takes his flight to Jamaica.